The Final Moment
by Tapwafana1991
Summary: When Nova leaves for a visit to Master Offay, Sparks learns that Offay is arranging for Nova to be married! He then embarks on a journey to stop the wedding and tell Nova how he feels once and for all. Spova
1. Nova's Announcement

"Sparks? Sparks? Sparks! It's your turn!"

Sparks snapped out of it and took a second to remember where he was. It was a quiet morning in Shuggazoom City. While the others were out on patrol, Sparks and Gibson were in the middle of an intensive, suspenseful, all or nothing…chess match.

"Oh, uh, sorry Gibson," Sparks said casually. He quickly moved one of his pieces and sat back. As Gibson planned his next move, Sparks drifted back into his daydream…

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"_Freeze, Mandarin!"_

"_You'll never stop me, my brother!" _

_As the citizens of Shuggazoom and the rest of the Hyperforce looked on from the ground, Sparks increased his speed and piloted the Fist Rocket 3 toward a fleeing Mandarin, who had captured Nova._

"_Hurry, Sparks! Stop him!" Nova cried._

"_You got it, babe!" Sparks declared, as he charged up his plasma cannon. Mandarin let out a maniacal monkey laugh._

"_Your silly cannon blasts have done nothing to me in the past. Don't you learn anything?"_

"_Yeah," Sparks said mischievously, "I learned that you spend too much time talking…"_

_At that moment, Sparks fired his plasma cannon and it hit Mandarin's ship perfectly._

"…_and not enough time paying attention!"_

_As Mandarin's ship fell to the ground, everyone cheered and jumped for joy. But then they looked up in horror again as a cry for help sounded from above._

"_Sparks!" Nova cried as she was free-falling toward the ground with Mandarin's ship. Her rocket pack had been destroyed by Mandarin as well._

"_Hold on, Nova!" Sparks quickly landed the Fist Rocket, jumped out, and prepared to catch her. Everyone surrounding him watched on in hopeful horror as Nova drew closer to the ground. But Sparks remained calm and caught Nova in his arms. The city cheered and hollered while Mandarin landed in the water with the remains of his ship._

"_Oh, Sparks!" Nova said happily, "You saved my life!"_

"_No problem, baby," Sparks said smoothly. "Now how are you going to thank me?"_

_Nova smiled at that and leaned in to kiss him…_

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"GREAT SCOTT! SPARKS! SNAP OUT OF IT!"

"Huh?!" Sparks jumped and noticed Gibson looking very irritated with him. It was kinda funny.

"Sorry, Brainstrain, but not everyone can keep a game of chess grueling and exciting."

"This has been happening consistently!" Gibson said, frustrated.

_Can't you just say 'a lot' like everyone else? _Sparks thought, rolling his eyes.

"I don't understand," Gibson mumbled as he got up to pace. "He's constantly distracted, not just during a game, but during training, and patrol, sometimes even in battle."

"You know, I'm right here!" Sparks exclaimed. Once Gibson started pacing, he was in his own gigantic thought bubble.

"What could he possibly be fantasizing about-" Gibson then got a suspicious grin on his face and turned back to Sparks.

"Don't go there, Gibson!" Sparks warned his teammate.

"Nova! Of course!"

"I warned you!" Sparks then activated his magnets and pointed them toward a still grinning Gibson.

"Sparks! Calm down!" Gibson pleaded to his brother calmly. "I understand."

"Yeah, right," Sparks snapped.

"Well, maybe not exactly," Gibson admitted, "But…I think it's…somewhat beautiful."

Sparks lowered his magnets. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"You're…serious?"

"Of course," Gibson reassured him, "I may not have experienced romantic feelings, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy seeing my brother happy."

"Uh…" Sparks was simply speechless. "Thanks."

"So why don't you tell Nova how you feel?"

"C'mon, Gibson, you know how it is," Sparks started to explain, but then lost his nerve. "I…just can't."

"Oh, I see," Gibson teased, "Timorous, are we?"

"Plain monkey speak, Gibson."

"Scared. Nervous. Afraid of rejection."

"No!" Sparks defended. "I just…don't wanna ruin our friendship. I'm on shaky ground with Nova as it is."

"I understand Sparks," Gibson replied caringly. "But I do believe it would make you feel better. If you told her."

"Yeah, just don't tell anybody!"

"Of course not." _Everyone already knows anyway_, Gibson thought.

Just then, the rest of the Hyperforce entered from outside. Sparks immediately laid eyes on Nova and smiled. It was always good to see her golden fur and beautiful pink eyes. Chiro deactivated his hero mode and turned to Antauri.

"I don't get why we had to go out on patrol, Antauri. There's nothing out there."

"Nothing visible to the human eye, Chiro," Antauri said wisely, "But I sense a threat that is invisible and yet right in front of us."

"Hey!" Otto said happily. "Chess game! I call winner!"

"Uh…game over!" Sparks said as he knocked his pieces off the board and onto the floor. "Gibson wins." Gibson, not always willing to put up with a slightly dimwitted Otto, gave Sparks an annoyed look, as if to say _"If I hadn't promised to keep your bloody secret, I would undoubtedly get you back right now."_ Sparks flashed his mischievous smile proudly.

"Well," Nova said suddenly, heading back into her tube, "I better get ready to leave."

Her teammates all turned to Nova in shock.

"Uh…pardon?" Gibson said.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you guys," Nova said innocently, turning to her teammates, "I'm going to visit Master Offay for a week."

Once again, the team was speechless.

"Nova, I fail to see why you kept this from us." Antauri said.

"I didn't mean to," Nova reassured them, "I just forgot."

"Ok…" Chiro replied uneasily. "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning…" Nova replied shyly.

"Nova, honestly, we could've used a prior notification about this!" Gibson said, clearly taken back. "What if something attacks the city while you're-"

"Don't get your tail in a knot, Gibson," Nova told him. "You guys can handle anything that comes the city's way. Besides, it's not like I'm the only decent warrior on this team. I could use a break."

The team remained speechless. It wasn't like Nova to stray away from battle. But before anyone could protest…

"Go ahead, Nova," Chiro told her. "We'll handle everything here. Have fun."

"Oh," Nova replied, a little surprised by Chiro's support. "Thanks, Chiro." Nova smiled at her teammates, stepped into her tube, and disappeared to the upper level of the robot.

"Are you positive about your decision, Chiro?" Antauri questioned.

"Yeah," Chiro assured him. "Nova's right. We do depend on her a lot. She deserves some time off. We'll be okay."

"If you say so, kid," Sparks said, looking toward Nova's tube. _Somehow, I don't think she's going for a vacation…_

"So, Gibson," Otto said after gathering the chess pieces from the ground, "Are we gonna play or what?"


	2. I Know Something's Up

**Thanks for the reviews, everyone! I was already passionate about this story, and now I'm really into it! **

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sparks headed to Nova's room later that evening, thinking about her sudden announcement.

_She didn't sound too happy to be going on vacation. I think there's something else going on. I just hope I can get it out of her. _As Sparks rounded the corner, he could see that Nova's door was slightly open.

"Hey, Nova?" Sparks said as he gently pushed open the door. Nova was busy packing her pink luggage with her exercise equipment, her stuffed animals, and…pretty much everything in her room.

"Hey, Sparks," Nova acknowledged him, keeping focus on packing. "What's up?"

_Okay, Sparks, _he reminded himself, _try not to say something stupid, or else she'll kick your tail out and you'll never find out what's wrong._ "Just…wanted to see if you needed any help."

"Uh…" Nova was a little surprised by Sparks' show of friendship. "No, I'm almost done. Thanks, anyway."

"No prob," Sparks said, thinking of how to bring up his concern lightly. "You're packing a lot for a vacation…"

"Well, yeah, but, what girl doesn't?" Nova said with a giggle. _I love hearing her laugh, _Sparks thought happily, _but I know something's wrong._

"Heh, yeah," Sparks chuckled. _Alright, Sparks, enough beating around the bush! She's your friend, and if you wanna get any further, you have to be honest. _

"Look, Nova, I, uh…, you don't seem too happy to be visiting Offay. Is something else going on?" Sparks then braced himself for a beating.

"I'm fine, Sparks."

Sparks let his guard down and opened his eyes. "You're…not mad at me for butting into your business?"

"No," Nova assured him. "But, I've been thinking, and…there's something I want to talk about."

"Sure," Sparks replied almost immediately. _Yes! I'm getting somewhere!_

"Well," Nova said, putting down her stuffed blue space pony and turning to Sparks, "I know we haven't always been very nice to each other. And, I want that to change."

"Oh," Sparks said, his heart jumping. _Not the direction I was planning to go in, but I like it! _"I want it to change, too."

"Great," Nova said happily, "so, you try not to be an arrogant jerk all the time, and I won't slam you against the wall everyday?"

"Heh, I don't know if I can do that," Sparks joked, but then remembered what had just been discussed. "But I can do it for you."

"Thank you." Nova smiled and turned back to her luggage. Sparks started for the door, then stopped.

_Well that was nice_, Sparks thought, _but I know something's still bothering her. Lemme try something else._

"Uh…Nova?"

"Yeah, Sparks?"

"Remember when I said I was glad to have you, as my friend?"

"Yeah."

"I really meant that."

Nova smiled the most beautiful smile Sparks had ever seen. "I know. And I'm glad to have you as my friend, too." They stood in silence and smiles for a moment, then Nova stepped forward and gave Sparks a hug.

"I'll miss you, Sparks."

Sparks stood dumbfounded for a second, then smiled and returned the hug. "I'll miss you too, Nova."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Late the next morning, the Hyperforce was continuing their work after Nova had left. While Antauri took Chiro to the training room to practice the Power Primate, Gibson and Otto had been working on the Foot Thruster 6 to temporarily put it on auto-pilot while Nova was gone. Sparks was supposed to be helping, but decided to polish his magnets instead. He couldn't stop thinking about what had happened the night before.

_I'm glad to be on Nova's good side_, Sparks thought as he checked his reflection in his perfectly buffed magnet, _but I still think there's more to her vacation than she wants to admit. Well, as long as she comes back safely, everything will be fine. Maybe she'll even want to take things to the next level when she gets back. _

Suddenly, Sparks heard a small explosion and a monkey screech from somewhere inside the robot. Gibson then entered from his tube, his face covered in soot, looking irritated. Again, kinda funny.

"Looked in the mirror lately, Gibson?" Sparks joked.

"Oh, very humorous, Sparks," Gibson said dryly. "If you're not going to help, can you at least go get Otto?"

"I thought he was helping you."

"He was, until he got a transmission on his com receptors. He said it was private and went to his room. I haven't seen him in the last ten minutes."

"Fine," Sparks said as he got up, "but if I scuff my magnets while I'm up there, it's on your tail."

Gibson scowled at that and went into his lab to clean up. Sparks headed to the upper level of the robot toward Otto's room. _He's probably ordering a week's worth of Mr. Gakslopper's_, Sparks thought. As he drew closer, he could Otto's voice.

"No…no, I haven't told anyone, Nova…"

_Hold up!_, Sparks thought as he literally stopped in his tracks, _I knew something was going on! Figures she'd tell Otto. _He stood outside near the door to hear more.

"I know, but…I think the rest of the team should know…What if we never see you again?"

Sparks had heard enough. He ran into the room, tackled Otto to the ground, causing the transmission to go out, and held him down. "What's happening to Nova?! Tell me!"

"I can't tell you, Sparks." Otto protested, trying to loosen his brother's grip. "It's a secret!"

"You just said the rest of the team should know, and we may never see her again! Now spit it out!"

"Yeah, but-"

"Don't make me shock it out of you, Otto!" Sparks threatened as he activated his magnet and pointed it toward Otto. Just then, Gibson entered the room.

"What in the- Sparks! Get off of him!" Gibson pulled Sparks off of Otto, found the safety lock on Sparks' arm, and deactivated his magnets.

"Hey!" Sparks yelled, pushing Gibson off of him.

"Sparks! Calm down before Antauri hears you!" Gibson yelled back. "Now what's going on up here?"

"Why don't you ask Otto?" Sparks suggested sarcastically. "Oh wait, he won't tell anyone!"

"I promised Nova I wouldn't tell!" Otto defended. He sounded more upset than angry.

"Alright, that's enough," Gibson said as he stepped in between them. He turned to Sparks with a disapproving look. "Sparks…" He motioned toward Otto, who had a slightly hurt look on his face.

"I'm sorry, buddy," Sparks said to Otto, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I didn't mean to hurt you, I just got really worried."

"It's ok," Otto smiled. Sparks often forgot how sensitive Otto was, and Otto forgot how strong Sparks was.

"That's better," Gibson said, "Now I'm curious as to what started all this."

"I heard him talking to Nova," Sparks told Gibson, "something about how he can't tell us, and never seeing Nova again."

"Is that correct, Otto?"

"Yeah, but…Nova doesn't want you guys to know."

"Otto," Gibson said calmly, "if you know something's going on with Nova, you should tell us. Whether Nova likes it or not, we need to know if something's wrong."

Otto paused, then let out a little sigh. "Okay, I'll tell you. A few days ago, Nova got a message from Master Offay. It said that…he wants Nova to get married."

Gibson's jaw dropped in surprise, Otto had a guilty look on his face, but no one was more shocked than Sparks. He could feel his heart drop into his stomach. So many emotions struck him all at once, and so did many questions. But all he could say was; "Wha?"

"Otto, I-I don't understand! How could she, not tell us? What could Offay, possibly be thinking?" Gibson spat out in short-winded breaths.

"Offay thinks Nova needs a strong warrior in her life. And as her mentor, he has the authority to choose the groom and give Nova away," Otto explained.

Each word was killing Sparks. _How could the girl of my dreams go off and marry another guy?_ he thought sadly.

"Nova didn't really wanna do it, but she didn't wanna let down Offay. So, she kinda let us down. Once she's, you know, married, she'll probably stay on Galaxia. Forever."

"Forever?" Sparks muttered sadly.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**

**Note: I know Offay's decision seems uncharacteristic, but it will be explained in a later chapter ;)**


	3. Sparks' Decision

**Thanks again for reviewing! It actually helped me write more to the story. This chapter is a little shorter, but is very important. **

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sparks and Gibson still stood in shock at what Otto had told them.

"Are you positive that's what Offay said?" Gibson questioned.

"That's what Nova told me," Otto answered, "I never saw the message. But I think it's still on her dresser."

The monkeys raced across the hall to Nova's room, to her dresser and saw a folded-up piece of paper sitting there. Sparks unfolded it, allowing a holographic message to pop up before them. Master Offay appeared, looking completely normal.

"_Nova"_, the message began, _"I must inform you that I have arranged for you to be married. Do not worry, I have chosen a strong, charismatic young warrior to marry you. Just the kind of person you need to make you stronger. And when you are married, you will remain here on Galaxia, among friends. Please take my gesture to heart."_ Just then, Offay lowered his head. As he came back up, his eyes glowed. As he continued, his voice grew more gruff. _"I feel this is the best for you. I look forward to this occasion and seeing you."_ The message ended.

"Okay, I didn't just imagine that?" Sparks said.

"You guys saw his eyes, too?" Otto asked. "I hope, or I'd look pretty stupid right now."

"Yes, we saw them, Otto," Gibson assured him. "This escalates my theory; I believe that Master Offay is being controlled somehow. Similar to when his mind was clouded by the Skeleton King Worm."

"Well we can't let Nova get married!" Sparks exclaimed.

"And we can't let something take over masters' minds!" Otto added.

"Heck with Offay's mind, how could Nova go through with this?!" Sparks continued. "She doesn't need a strong, charismatic warrior! Well, you know, it wouldn't be a bad thing," he said with a chuckle, "but she doesn't need _that_ guy!"

"Otto," Gibson said, "try to establish another transmission to Nova." Otto turned away and did so. Gibson turned to Sparks.

"Sparks," Gibson said quietly so Otto couldn't hear, "I understand how you feel."

"How could you understand?" Sparks said under his breath, "The monkey girl I love is about to marry another guy she probably doesn't even like. There's gotta be something I can do!"

"What could you possibly do, Sparks?" Gibson told him. "Go to Galaxia, stop Offay on your own?"

_That's probably not a bad idea_, Sparks thought.

"And I suppose while you're there, you could tell Nova you love her and stop her from marrying her fiancé."

As Gibson was saying this, he clearly had a humorous manner in his voice, but the suggestion hit Sparks like lightning. _Defeat the force that's controlling Offay, and finally make Nova love me_. It was perfect. It was the last and only chance he had to show Nova and everyone that he wasn't a selfish jerk.

"I can't get a signal," Otto reported, turning back to Gibson. "Hey, where's Sparks?"

Gibson looked to his right where Sparks was standing just a moment ago. He then turned and looked out the door and caught a glimpse of Sparks running down the hall to his tube.

"Sparks, wait!" Gibson shouted as he grabbed Otto and ran toward Sparks. They caught him just as Sparks was stepping into his tube. "What are you doing?!"

"I'm gonna do it, Gibson," Sparks told him. "I'm going to Galaxia to save Nova."

"Have you blown a circuit, Sparks?! You can't do that!"

"It's my only chance!" Sparks cried. "Nova's in trouble, and I'm not gonna let her marry some guy she doesn't know and break up this team! Especially not without telling her how I really feel."

"What's he talking about?" Otto asked.

Gibson put a hand over Otto's mouth and turned back to Sparks. "I can't say I agree with your decision, Sparks, but I understand your desire. At least let us come with you."

"Sorry, guys," Sparks said. "I gotta do this on my own. But I need you to cover for me."

"How are we supposed to cover for you?"

"I don't know," Sparks replied, "tell Antauri I went to check out that threat he thinks is coming. Come on, guys, I'm begging you. Help me out."

They were all silent for a few moments.

"Alright, Sparks," Gibson sighed, "Go on. We'll cover for you"

"We got your back!" Otto added.

"Thanks, guys," Sparks said happily.

"Er, Otto," Gibson said, "perhaps you should continue work on the Foot Cruiser."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Otto groaned, "You wanna be alone." Otto then walked toward his tube. "Sheesh, it's like you guys think I'm the dumb monkey or something," he mumbled until he was out of sight.

"Sparks," Gibson said to his brother, "are you sure about this?"

"More than anything, Gibson."

"Very well, then." Gibson held out his hand to his departing teammate. "Good luck, Sparks."

Sparks smirked at Gibson and shook his hand in gratitude. He then stepped back into his tube, looked back at Gibson, and gave him a thumbs-up, which Gibson returned. Sparks went up his tube, into the Fist Rocket 3, and quickly blasted off before anyone could stop him. _This is my last chance_, Sparks thought as he exited the atmosphere, _Offay won't take Nova away from me without a fight. I'll show that kook and everyone that I can do this. No matter what I have to do._

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	4. Things Change On Galaxia

**Sorry this chapter took a while, I kept getting stuck on some parts. But I think it was worth it. Enjoy!**

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The journey to Galaxia wasn't long with the Fist Rocket 3 in hyper drive. Plus, Sparks was already driving as fast as he could with ambition and determination. After about four hours, Galaxia finally came into view. As he laid eyes on the planet, Sparks took a deep breath. _This is it_, he thought, _I'm about to change the team, and my life. Whoa, man, I sound like Antauri._

The Fist Rocket 3 entered the atmosphere of Galaxia. It was all lush and green jungle. Much better than how it looked when corrupted by the Dark One Worm. Sparks surveyed the ground for a good place to land, and spotted Offay's dojo temple. He tried to carefully land the Fist Rocket, even though he was itching to get out and find Nova. The second the ship hit the ground, Sparks jumped out. He looked up at the temple and took another deep breath. _Here goes nothing._

Sparks walked into the temple anxiously but with caution. He had to remember that something was controlling Offay and maybe even the entire planet. The temple was lit by torches, and the walls covered with vines. Sparks tried to remember where Offay's dojo room was. _That's probably where he is now_, Sparks thought.

He spotted a stairway leading down to a room, and the memory came back. Sparks headed down the stairway, unsure of what could be there. As he walked down, he could hear grunts. _He's probably training someone right now. Maybe it's the 'great warrior' he's making Nova marry. _But one of the grunts was clearly female. _Or maybe it __**is**__ Nova!_

"Nova!" he called out. Sparks was now running down the steps and into the dojo, where sure enough, Offay was sparring with one of his students. But it wasn't Nova. It was some big, pink, muscley creature.

Just then, Sparks felt something hit his head and knock him to the ground. He had stepped in between the student and Offay, and got himself kicked in the head.

"Pinko," Offay said to his large student, "we will continue our lesson later." The two exchanged respectful bows and the creature left the room. Sparks gathered his strength and stood up. "Are you alright?" Offay said to Sparks in his wise and slightly gruff voice. He sounded as normal as he did in the beginning of Nova's message.

"Yeah," Sparks responded, rubbing his head. "I'm used to it." He looked up and recognized Nova's martial arts master. "Offay!" Sparks exclaimed, now grabbing Offay by his robe. "Where's Nova? Why's she getting married? Did you blow a gasket or something?!"

Offay took his staff and whacked Sparks in the head again. "Calm down, crimson one!" he said, "You must have respect for a dojo master."

"Fine. Sorry," Sparks said, rubbing his head again.

"Now," Offay said calmly, "what can I do for you?"

"You remember me, right?" Sparks asked. "Red monkey, Hyperforce, NOVA?!"

"Oh, yes," Offay recalled, "The Hyperforce. I thank you again for protecting our beloved planet."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Sparks replied impatiently. Offay was speaking slowly, which was getting on Sparks' nerves. "Just explain why you're making Nova get married."

Offay paused for a moment, then lowered his head. Just like in Nova's message, his eyes were glowing as he came back up. His voice grew more gruff again as he spoke. "I did not force Nova to engage in marriage," he told Sparks, "I merely suggested to her that marriage would be beneficial for her. Not only would she be fighting side by side with a warrior as great as her, she would be happy. Isn't that what is best for her?" Then, his eyes faded back to their original color and Offay smiled. "And Nova graciously accepted to meet the fellow."

Sparks stood there, trying to comprehend what had just happened. _Offay doesn't know he's being controlled_, he thought. _I'll have to contact Gibson later to figure this out. Right now, I better find Nova._

"Okay," Sparks said, "but don't you think she'll hate the guy? I mean, if he has half the temper Nova has, it'll never work out. Warriors are like that, you know." _Ok, I think he'll buy that_, Sparks thought. _Then again, he is being controlled._

"Well," Offay responded, "if you're so concerned, why don't you talk to Nova yourself."

_Finally!_ Sparks thought. "Yes! I need to talk to Nova! Where is she?"

"She and her fiancé are at a social gathering in the west temple. Now," Offay said as he turned his back for a moment, "can I interest you in a cup of tea?" He turned back, cups and teabags in hand, but Sparks was already halfway up the stairway.

"Oh well," Offay said optimistically. "More for me."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sparks lifted off his feet and rocketed into the sky, trying to find the west temple. _This is perfect_, he thought, _I can get a good look at this guy and convince Nova not to marry him. _After a few moments, Sparks looked down and saw a lit-up temple with a few monsters loitering around outside. _Gotcha! _

He then raced to the ground, causing him to fall onto one of the party-goers. The slimy, gator-like creature pushed Sparks off and then jabbered angrily at him in a gibberish language.

"Hey, calm down, Slimy!" Sparks snapped to the creature. "I just need to get inside."

The gator continued to babble. _I don't have time for this_, Sparks thought impatiently. He activated his magnets, made them spark a little, and aimed them toward the creature. The gator (and several other creatures around him) screamed and ran off. Sparks smiled proudly, deactivated his magnets, and strolled into the temple.

Despite its ancient architectural outside appearance, the inside of the temple was very modernized. Creatures were socializing and dancing, (in odd, embarrassing ways) there was a bar and band, it looked like some kind of club. _This is a really weird planet_, Sparks thought.

He looked around, trying to find Nova, but it was hard to see with the dancing crowd now jumping up down to the music. Sparks had no choice but to join in. He began jumping up and down. _I feel like an idiot…_. He couldn't use his rocket pack because he didn't want to make a scene. But as Sparks jumped a little higher above the crowd, he could see a yellow point in the distance by the bar. A little higher, he could see the top of a yellow helmet. Higher more, he saw Nova's pink eyes.

"Nova!" Sparks shouted. But the music (and the jumping crowd) was too loud. Sparks remained on the ground and began dancing through the crowd to get toward the bar. After a few bumps and bruises, Sparks got close enough for Nova to hear.

"Nova!"

She turned around and saw her friend. Her eyes widened in shock. "Sparks?"

He pushed through the crowd a few more times and fell in front of Nova. Sparks looked up into her gorgeous pink eyes. _Man, I missed those eyes_, he thought. "Nova!" he said happily, as he got up and hugged her.

"Uh…Sparks…" Nova said, still in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"Otto told us what's going on."

"What?!"

"Relax," Sparks reassured her, "he only told me and Gibson. Antauri and Chiro don't know. But I came to talk you out of-" Sparks noticed a sparkly rock on Nova's finger. His heart dropped into his stomach again. "Nova…you're not really gonna…?"

"Sparks," Nova said with sincerity in her voice, "I'm sorry I kept this a secret from you guys. I didn't want to get married, but Offay says I have to."

"But what about Offay's message?" Sparks asked desperately. "Didn't you see his eyes glowing?!"

Nova looked at Sparks blankly for a second. "What are you talking about?" she asked, clearly confused. "His eyes didn't glow in the message- Wait," she said suddenly, then raised her voice. "I can't believe you guys invaded my privacy like that!"

"Nova, just listen!" Sparks pleaded. He then softened his voice. "I just wanna talk to you. I also came here to say…well, there's something-"

"Hey, Nova. I got you a guava peach juice."

Behind Nova stood…another robot monkey. He had brown fur and green eyes, and was a little more muscular than the other monkeys. He spoke in a smooth, friendly voice and had a warm smile on his face. He held two drinks and handed one to Nova.

"Oh, thanks," Nova said surprised but gracious. "I didn't even ask for anything."

"I just wanted to surprise you," the brown monkey said sweetly. _I don't know who this guy is_, Sparks thought, _but he's making me sick._

Nova giggled and took the drink. "Well, Trent, I didn't know you were such a gentleman."

"Uh…" Sparks interrupted, hoping to get a little information.

"Oh, sorry," Nova said, then turned to her green-eyed companion. "Trent, this is Sparks, from the Hyperforce. Sparks, this is Trent, my fiancé."

"Nice to meet you, Sparks," Trent greeted nicely.

"Yeah…you too…" Sparks managed to respond after a moment. _Talk about awkward. _"So, how long have you guys known each other?"

"For quite some time, actually," Trent answered.

"Trent and I were both trained by Offay here on Galaxia at the same time," Nova added. "He was kind of a hothead back then…"

"But I grew out of it," Trent finished. "Teenage years, you know?"

"Heh, yeah," Sparks chuckled uneasily.

Trent then looked to Nova and took her hand. "Nova, would you like to dance?"

"I'd love to," Nova said, blushing. She looked at Sparks, having sensed the awkward-ness of the situation, then back at Trent. "You go ahead, I'll be right there."

"Okay, beautiful." Trent smiled and walked toward the dance floor. Nova looked back at Sparks.

"Nova," Sparks said, "I can't believe you're really gonna do this. What about the team? What about us?"

"Sparks, I'll still be able to see you guys. You can visit Galaxia anytime you want. You and I will always be friends. But…I can't stay on the Hyperforce forever. Maybe it's time for me to move on."

Every word was breaking Sparks' heart. _This can't be happening!_

"You guys can find a new member. You know, as long as it's not that crazy Gyrus Crinkle. It can be an all guys ship. You'll like that. And…I'm really starting to like Trent."

_She does look happy_… Sparks thought. _I don't think I can ruin this for her. Even though I wish it was me instead of what's-his-name. _

"I understand. When's the wedding?"

"…Tomorrow night."

"Would you mind if I called the others so they could come? We are your friends."

"No. I'll do it myself. Like I should've done in the first place. Thanks, though. Besides, I want to know that I have everyone's blessing."

"Well, you have mine." _As much as it kills me._

Nova looked back at Trent, who was waiting for her as a slow song started playing. "I'll call the others tonight. Right now I better go."

"Yeah. Go ahead. I'll talk to you later."

Nova smiled, then leaned forward and kissed Sparks on the cheek. "Thanks." She turned away and walked toward Trent. They joined hands and walked to the middle of the dance floor, where a spot had been conveniently made for them. One of the spotlights was shining down on them as they began to sway to the music. Nova and Trent smiled as they looked into each other's eyes.

Sparks looked on from the bar. Seeing Nova with another guy was bad enough. Seeing her happy with another guy was the worst. _Looks like I came here for nothing_, he thought sadly.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Darn Trent! Sparks can't give up now! Wait for the next chapter to see what happens.**

**Please review! It motivates me!**


	5. Once A Hothead, Always A Hothead

**Thank you for all the reviews! I love the feedback!**

**A bit of an epic and dramatic chapter here. Hope you like it!**

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After suffering from watching Nova dance with another guy, Sparks stepped outside to try to contact Gibson. They had to figure out what could be controlling Offay. Plus, Sparks needed to vent.

"Gibson, come in…Gibson?" Sparks couldn't seem to get a connection on his com receptors. "Ugh, they never pick up when you really need 'em to."

After a half hour of trying to contact Gibson or Otto, Sparks gave up and headed back inside the club for a drink. The dance floor was cleared, the band was packing up, and the ceiling lights were back on. The party had ended at least twenty minutes ago.

"I can't believe Nova could go trough with this!" Sparks said in disbelief. "Well," he sighed as he sat down by the bar, "at least I tried. Nova's my friend and I'm not gonna ruin her happiness. But I still should figure out what's controlling Offay."

"Isn't it obvious?"

Sparks turned around and saw Trent at the other side of the room. _Oh great, it's Mister Perfect_.

"What do you want, Trent?"

"You mean you didn't find it strange that there was another robot monkey here?" Trent was sounding a little sinister. Sparks jumped off of his seat and put his guard up.

"What are you talking about?"

There was a pause, then Trent began to morph. He turned a dark gray, with his legs staying brown, grew taller and muscular, with one big, green hand, and one with a golden finger. Huge horns grew on the sides of his head, and his green eyes changed into a smaller pair of eyes and a mouth.

"Wait a minute!" Sparks exclaimed. "You-you're one of the monsters from that fighting club on Galaxia! Korgon the Great! But, I thought they were all being controlled by the Skeleton King Worm?!"

"Most of them where," Trent, now as Korgon, replied in a much deeper, tougher-sounding voice. "But I was always a fighter. I was a last-minute experiment by the Alchemist. I was to be the ultimate monkey warrior, but too many functions were programmed in me, so he dumped me here on Galaxia. I swore revenge on him for abandoning me. Being trained by Offay gave me the will and the strength of a warrior. I also learned how to program my morphing and mind control powers."

"So you're the one who's controlling Offay!"

"Yes. Nova is the Hyperforce's strongest warrior. When she is married to me, you will be weak. Then my brothers will be able to destroy the monkey team and take over the universe."

"Nova wouldn't let that happen," Sparks replied.

At that point, Korgon morphed back into Trent.

"Normally, no. She dreaded me back when we trained with Offay. I planned on using mind control, but coming off as her dream man worked just as well. So I only had to make her unable to see when Offay was being controlled."

"That's why she couldn't see his eyes glowing in the message."

"And as she falls in love with me, she'll do _anything _to please me."

"That's not gonna happen!" Sparks then activated his magnets and aimed then toward Trent, who chuckled.

"You wouldn't shoot at me."

"Wanna bet?"

"Nova's in love with me. Not you." Trent reminded him. _Ouch_, Sparks thought. "If she sees you attacking me, she'll hate you. It'll feel, something like this." Trent then transformed his robot monkey hands into lasers and fired them at Sparks.

Sparks was hit in the chest, and fell backward. Trent smiled mischievously and turned to leave. But then an electric spark hit him in the back. He looked back and saw Sparks standing, his magnets up, ready to fight.

"Sure you don't wanna morph back to your monster form?"

"No. I'll save you the embarrassment."

The two stood in silence for a moment, tension and jealously in the air. This was the battle Sparks had come here to win. To save the team, and Nova.

They then began to move in a circle, still giving each other ice-cold stares. They each waited for the other to fire. Evil and viciousness laid in Trent's devil green eyes. Courage and deceit laid in Sparks'. The pressure of the silence grew until it was too much. Sparks and Trent both lunged toward each other and fired.

Bolts of electricity and laser beams flew across the room, hitting and missing. Trent and Sparks dodged and kicked and punched with all of their strength, blocking and trying to strike each other. Grunts and battle cries raged between them.

Sparks was surprised to find Trent looking exhausted already. _Ha, looks like someone's been too busy working on his image to learn how to fight._ He fired a magno-ball at Trent that sent him out the door. Trent struggled to get up but then flew up to the top of the temple, with Sparks following close behind.

The two monkeys continued their battle on the small roof of the West Temple. More fire, more punches, and more anger. With Trent looking low on energy and close to a surrender, Sparks gave it everything he had to finish him off. Trent attempted to thrust his laser and Sparks, but was hit with an electric punch in the back of the head, sending him down through the roof and onto the floor of the temple inside. Sparks wasted no time jumping down to Trent, ready for victory.

"Ha!" Sparks said, looking down on his slowly-moving opponent. "Not such a great warrior now, are you?!" He held his magnet in the air, ready for one final blow to Trent. He charged it up, and-

"SPARKS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Nova was standing in the doorway, having just heard Sparks threaten her fiancé and prepare to destroy him. She did not look happy.

…_Uh oh…_

"Trent!" Nova ran to her fiancé who was still on the ground. She helped him up and Trent let out a groan of pain. "Are you okay?"

"Ugh, I think so," Trent replied, still uneasy on his feet. _I really can't tell if he's faking an injury_, Sparks thought. "I was just practicing my laser targeting, when I accidentally hit Sparks. Then he started firing at me. I tried to defend myself, but he wouldn't listen to reason." _But he's sure faking being the good guy_.

"Sparks, how could you?!" Nova yelled to sparks angrily.

"Nova, you don't understand!" Sparks pleaded. "Trent's not the guy you think he is! He's a monster from that fighting club! He's controlling Offay to get you to marry him so you'll leave the Hyperforce and he'll destroy the universe!"

"Shut up, Sparks!" Nova scolded him. "Trent may have been a trouble maker in the past, but people change. Unlike you. Once a hothead, always a hothead!"

"But, Nova, I-"

"I'm really disappointed in you." Nova sounded like it, too. She probably would've punched him if she wasn't so hurt. "You promised you wouldn't be such a jerk all the time. I thought you could keep that promise, for me. But you just proved otherwise. I don't care anymore. In fact, I don't want to see you at the wedding tomorrow. My real friends will be there."

Sparks couldn't feel his heart drop in his stomach. He couldn't feel anything. His whole body just froze. Nova turned away and started rubbing Trent's arm. Sparks took the hint and walked away sadly.

Nova waited until Sparks was gone then looked to Trent. "Come on, Trent, let's get some rest. You look hurt."

"I'm okay, Nova," Trent reassured her. "Just knowing that tomorrow, we'll be husband and wife, makes everything better."

"Oh, Trent," Nova smiled, practically dancing on air, 'that's so sweet."

"No, you are." Then, Trent leaned in, put his arm around Nova, and kissed her. Nova put her hand on Trent's shoulder and returned the kiss. It looked like the deal was made. Especially to Sparks, who was watching from a window outside. He felt like he could just shut down right there.

"Now," Trent said after they pulled apart, "don't worry about Sparks. You don't need someone like that in your life."

"Yeah, you're right." Nova smiled at Trent. They kissed again and walked out of the room, arms around each other.

Sparks had come here to defeat the force that was controlling Offay. To confess his feelings for Nova. To prove himself. In a short half a day, he had lost the battle.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**NOOOO! Is this the end of any hope for Spova? Read the next chapter and see! Please review!**


	6. Revelation

**Thanks again for reviews!**

**So sorry for not updating for about a month. I had to make this chapter perfect because it's a real turning point for Sparks and the story. And a mystery is revealed that I'll bring up later in another story. Enjoy!**

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was nothing to do but try to get to sleep. But Sparks couldn't sleep. He didn't know how to go on knowing that Nova was happily marrying another guy.

Sparks walked through the night back to the Fist Rocket 3. So many emotions filled his head; sadness, disappointment, hopelessness, and disbelief. His one chance to prove to the team and Nova that he could do something selfless, and he had failed.

He stepped into his ship and sat down. He didn't bother turning on the lights. He sighed and lied on the floor of the ship, opened the sunroof, and looked out at the stars.

_Why did I have to go and fight Trent?! I should've just backed off and talked to Nova alone. Man, I can never do anything right! Always getting shot down first, getting slammed against the wall, getting lectured for saying something stupid. No wonder Nova sided with Trent. He can at least fake being a good guy._

"Sparks, come in. Sparks, do you read?"

"Gibson?" Sparks sat up and turned on his com receptors. "Is that you?"

"It's me too!" Otto added enthusiastically.

"Yes, Otto is here too," Gibson sighed.

"Where have you guys been? I've been trying to reach you all night!"

"We were all talking to Nova," Gibson informed him. "She told everyone what was happening and invited us to the wedding. I thought you were going to stop her?"

"Well, I couldn't!" Sparks snapped. "Nova's in love with the guy! She hates me, and she couldn't be happier!"

There was a pause, in which Gibson sensed that something was wrong. (Duh)

"Uh, Otto, I dread doing this again, but-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Otto groaned, "I know the drill." He walked out of Gibson's lab and headed for his workshop.

"Sparks, what's happening on Galaxia?"

Sparks sighed and told Gibson all the terrible events that happened that day in such a short amount of time.

"…And the worst part is that now Nova hates me even more than she did before! She even banned me from the wedding."

Gibson paused, unsure of what to say. "…So you mean to tell me that the Alchemist built _another_ robot monkey? This certainly adds to the mystery of his life and transformation. Did Trent say _when_ he was created?"

"FOCUS, GIBSON!! Nova's leaving us! She's about to marry a monster! Help me figure out how to win her back!"

"Sparks, I realize that you're upset, but-"

"I can't believe Nova would do this to me!"

"Sparks,-"

"How could she be so selfish?!"

"Sparks, will you just stop and listen to me for once, you fool?!"

_Wow_, Sparks thought, _usually it's funny when Brainstrain gets mad, but now he sounds kinda serious._

"I understand your feelings at the moment, but did you ever think that you're the one being selfish in this situation?"

_Okay, it's official. His big brain finally blew up._

"What are you talking about?" Sparks questioned, confused. "Nova's the one who ditched the team to get married!"

"That's true, Sparks," Gibson said calmly, "But there's more occuring tomorrow than just a wedding. Nova is about to marry to a monster who wants to destroy the universe. And Master Offay is being controlled to arrange the whole thing."

"I know," Sparks responded, not seeing the point of the argument. "That's why I came here, to stop this."

"Is it, Sparks?" A different, but familiar voice said.

"Antauri?" _Oh boy, I'm in trouble. _"What's he doing here?" Sparks growled to Gibson.

"Uhhhh…" Gibson sounded as confused as Sparks was.

"Nova told us you were there," another voice said.

"Chiro?"

"Hey, I'm here too!" Otto chimed in.

"Otto? What's going on here?!" Now Sparks was really confused. Anyone who would've walked in on him right then would've thought he was going crazy.

Gibson remained puzzled. "Uh, Antauri…?"

"You couldn't have thought that I wouldn't sense what was really happening," Antauri answered him. "Did you?"

"And," Chiro added, "we heard Sparks talking to you guys through the tubes."

"I know of your promise you made to Nova, Sparks," Antauri said.

"Is there anything you _don't_ hear?" Sparks complained.

"Nope!" Otto said happily, "He's like a superhero!"

"Okay, then. Since you can read my every thought, then you know that I came to Galaxia to save Nova."

Antauri wasn't buying it. "I believe your thoughts read; '_Defeat the force that's controlling Offay, and finally make Nova love me_.' And you often mention trying to prove yourself. What for?"

"Oh come on, guys," Sparks said, actually glad to get this off his chest, "I'm always the first one blown down in battle, in practice, I'm sick of screwing up. I just wanted to do something to show that I'm not the selfish jerk Nova thinks I am. Besides, you've seen the way she treats me. Never can take a joke."

"Well I don't think she finds you threatening her fiancé very funny," Gibson protested.

"Stop calling him that!" Sparks yelled.

"Sparks, just listen!" Chiro commanded him. "I know you're upset, but this isn't about how you feel. Nova's in danger, and you're the only one that can save her before it's too late. Not by being the guy of her dreams, or some great warrior, but by being what you promised her you'd be. Her friend. We all believe in you, Sparks. You don't have to prove yourself to us. "

_He's right. If I want to get anywhere with Nova, I have to be her friend first. If I love her, I want to save her from danger, not just a perfect-looking guy. I guess my jealousy got in the way of what I really should've been doing. Man, the kid's really growing up._

"Kid, you're sounding more and more like Antauri everyday."

Chiro chuckled at that. "Not exactly what I was going for, but I'll take it."

"It would be wise to take that as a compliment," Antauri said.

"So what are we gonna do?" Otto asked.

"We're going to Galaxia," Chiro told the team. "Sparks, you've got to sneak into that wedding tomorrow and stop Nova by any means necessary. We'll be there in time to help if anything goes wrong."

"Gotcha, kid."

"Gibson, plot a course to Galaxia. We'll be leaving ASAP. Otto, make sure the robot's ready for takeoff."

"Roger, Chiro," Gibson replied.

"Wait, who's Roger?" Otto asked, following an annoyed Gibson to the command center.

Antauri smiled and floated after them, sensing that Chiro wanted a word alone with Sparks.

"Thanks, kid," Sparks said. "I needed that."

"No prob," Chiro replied. "You know, Sparks, Nova may not realize it now, but you are a good friend."

Sparks smiled for the first time that day, feeling confident that things would turn out okay. And that he had friends to turn to. "See you tomorrow, Chiro."

The teammates hung up, and Sparks lied on the ship's floor, looking up at the stars again. But this time they were brighter and full of hope.

_I am a good friend. And as Nova's friend, I won't let Nova get married and fall into Trent's trap and let the universe be destroyed. I have to tell her._

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Hmm, I wonder what Sparks is going to tell her? Will he follow through with his new ways? don't miss the next chapter! Please review!**


	7. I Have To Tell You Something

**Thanks for reviewing!**

**Sorry for the super long wait! I've been having a mix of writer's block and computer problems all month. **

**We've all been waiting for this chapter, the wedding day! (Even though it's not Sparks and Nova's, Spova fans will still love this) Enjoy!**

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sun rose over the lush jungle of Galaxia, lighting up the temples, and the Fist Rocket 3.

Sparks woke up to his alarm, remembering his mission for the day. The wedding.

He quickly rose to his feet and turned on his com receptors. He had to get in touch with the team to make sure their plan was still underway.

As he opened a small safe on the wall of the Fist Rocket, revealing a mirror on the door, Sparks took a good look at himself. Not to see how shiny his fur was, but to see if he looked any different. He sure felt different.

_I'm actually gonna do this_, he thought. _And just not for myself, but for Nova. My friend. _His thoughts were interrupted by a signal on his com receptors.

"Sparks, this is Chiro, come in. Do you read?"

"Loud and clear, kid," Sparks replied.

"We're about to land on Galaxia. Nova said the wedding's in the West Temple, so we'll meet inside there."

_Heh, a place full of many good memories_, Sparks thought sarcastically. "Roger, Chiro."

"That reminds me!" Sparks heard Otto say. "Gibson, who's Roger?"

"We'll see you soon, Sparks," Gibson said, clearly annoyed.

Sparks signed off and took one last look in the mirror. For the first time, he felt like the brave pilot in his fantasies. Except he wasn't out for the glory. He wasn't out to prove that he was a great warrior. He was out to prove that he could be a good friend.

He decided to walk to the temple. If he used his rocket pack, Nova would see him and most likely have him shot down. As he started toward the temple, he saw a few creatures in the distance heading the same way. They were all dressed in suits and ties. _Monkey doodle! I should've thought of that! Now how am I gonna get in? _He then noticed the gator creature he had scared off the night before. He was carrying a suit that looked to be just his size.

Sparks hid in a bush near the path and waited for the gator to pass by. He then pulled the gator into the bush, knocked him out, and quickly put on the suit. He stepped out of the bush and adjusted the tie. A few female creatures passed by him and whistled. Sparks activated one of his magnets to check his reflection. He smiled. He looked good. Just the impression he wanted to make on Nova.

He approached the temple and noticed the line to get in. A large guard stood at the entrance with a list. _Hmm, how am I gonna get past Tubby?_ he thought. There was no way he could knock him out that easy. And he had to keep a low profile. He then noticed a small black mask in the front pocket of suit. _Or, I can slip in easier than Antauri._

So Sparks put on the mask and walked toward the entrance. As he approached the guard, the guests waiting in line whistled and threw out compliments. The guard smiled and stepped aside to let Sparks in. "Congratulations, buddy," the guard told him, "go get her!"

_That was weird, _Sparks thought, _but so is every other bozo on this planet._

The temple had been remodeled into a beautiful hall. The light blue walls were decorated with white lace, red roses, and had multi-colored crystals everywhere. And that was just the lobby outside the chapel. As guests entered the room, Sparks peered in and looked around. The chapel was even more lacely, rosey, and crystallized than the hall. _This is Nova's wedding all right. _

He looked around some more and spotted the Hyperforce taking a seat near the front. They were all in black tie attire. _Sure, Nova gave __**them **__the message. _Gibson looked back to the door, and Sparks gave him a thumbs up. Then Gibson got out of his seat, bolted toward Sparks, and pushed him aside.

"Sparks, what are you doing?!" Gibson asked in a hushed and panicky tone.

"What does it look like I'm doing, Gibson? I'm sneaking into the wedding! Good thing some creepy gator was carrying a spare suit on the way here. And heck, it came with a mask!"

Gibson shook his head at his brother's apparent stupidity. "Sparks, you fool!"

"What?" Sparks asked. "I know I look more like one of the crazy goons that inhabit this planet, but I got in!"

"Sparks, in a traditional Galaxian wedding ceremony, the suit is brought to the wedding by the best man, and the groom wears a mask!"

_Double monkey doodle! _"Aw, no wonder I got in here so easily! What do I do now?!"

"First of all, stop shouting," Gibson instructed, keeping a hushed tone. "Second of all, perhaps this isn't bad. You can find Nova and stop her before the wedding starts." Just then, a bell rang, and the chapel's doors began to close. "Or…perhaps not. Good luck!" Gibson said quickly. He then rushed through the doors before they closed in Sparks' face.

"Gibson? Gibson!" Sparks shouted through the doors as he pounded on them. "What do I do?! What am I supposed to do about-"

"Sparks?" A familiar, female voice sounded behind him.

Sure enough, Sparks turned around and saw Nova standing there. She was in a flowing white dress, vial and bouquet handy, with a skinny, purple monster carrying Nova's train behind her. Her eyes sparkled even shinier than ever. Sparks was breath-taken by her beauty and her sudden presence.

"Nova," he started, unsure of what to say or do, "I, uh, I…" _Maybe she's not mad anymore and she'll understand._

"I told you I didn't want to see you here!" _Or, maybe not. _"And why are you wearing the groom's suit and mask?!"

Sparks took off the mask, realizing there was no point in staying in disguise anymore. "Nova, I can explain! You can't get married to Trent! You're putting yourself and the whole universe in danger!"

Nova rolled her eyes. "Sparks, enough with your conspiracy theories. I know I said Trent was a jerk in the past, but he's changed. You might wanna take a lesson from that."

_It's times like this I wish I could pummel __**her**__! _"Nova, this isn't a theory. I know the truth! If you don't believe me, ask Gibson! Come on, I'm your friend, I'm doing this for your own good."

Nova paused for a moment. She wanted to believe him, but if she couldn't take him seriously before, why should she now?

"Sparks, I'm sorry, but I want to do this." She started for the door, with the purple monster following her. "If anyone has a real reason why I shouldn't marry Trent, I'd like to hear it."

As Nova brushed past Sparks, he turned to face her and took a deep breath. This was it. The last chance. The only girl he loved. The final moment.

"Because I love you."

Nova froze. She stopped the purple monster from opening the door. She silently caught her breath and looked back at Sparks. She was shocked.

"Wha…what?"

Sparks took another breath in. "I love you." He found it easier to say it a second time. He had waited so long to say it, and now everything was pouring out of his heart. "I've always been in love with you. I don't know how it happened, but, I've never felt this way before. I don't know how to explain it." He continued to search for the words to explain it, trying to keep Nova listening as long as he could. "I love everything about you. Your smile, your eyes, your courage, your kindness, even the way you smash me during practice. I know I haven't been much of a friend, but, maybe that's cause I want to be more than your friend."

Sparks quickly realized that his desire wasn't going to happen. Why had he even bothered telling Nova how he felt? Maybe he just wanted to get it off his chest while he still had the chance. "But," he continued, "if you're happy, I guess I can't stop you." He then stepped toward Nova and gave her a small kiss on her cheek. "Now, go out there and get married already."

Nova wasn't sure how to feel or what to say. This wasn't the Sparks she had worked side-by-side with for so many years. She couldn't believe that these feelings had been invisible to her. She felt his hand still caressing her cheek. She looked into Sparks' eyes and could see the honesty and tenderness in them. He wasn't joking this time.

Just then, Sparks felt a tap on his shoulder. Trent was standing behind him, wearing a robe, wearing that fake warm smile. Nova quickly swatted Sparks' hand away from her face and faced Trent. "Uh, Trent," she said innocently, "why aren't you ready?"

"It seems my suit was stolen on its way here," Trent said accusingly, looking at Sparks. He continued keeping up his charade for Nova, but couldn't help giving Sparks a quick glare as he snatched the mask out of his hand. "Would you mind giving back my suit? I'm supposed to be getting married."

_Man, I wish I could kick his tail again!_ Sparks thought as he rolled his eyes. "My pleasure," he replied, putting on a charade of his own. He took off the suit and handed it back to Trent, who snatched it away.

Nova watched the boys, growing more confused by the minute. She was questioning two people, two guys she thought she had figured out, and now everything had been flipped around in an instant. She could now see the sourness Trent used toward Sparks. Every little glare or cold gesture to him made her question this whole thing even more.

Trent finished putting on the suit, adjusted his tie, and looked at Nova. "I'll see you in there, beautiful." He then walked through the doors, snapped his fingers, and the band started to play. As the doors closed again, Sparks and Nova looked at each other one last time. Almost like a goodbye, with a bit of hope in their eyes. Nova then looked toward the door, and the purple monster opened the door. The crowd inside awed at the sight of Nova sparkling and stepping out of the shadowy lobby. Sparks stayed in the darkness, and watched Nova take a deep breath and start walking down the aisle.

He wanted more than anything to stop her. But he knew it was too late. He had done everything he could. It was up to Nova now.

As Nova walked down the aisle, her eyes sifted around the room. She saw Trent up ahead, smiling that warm smile, but maybe it was as fake as Sparks said he was. She saw the Hyperforce up to the right, smiling, but obviously hurting inside. Her best friends, who were like family to her. All of the sudden the situation felt wrong. _This isn't right, _she thought. _Antauri should be walking me down the aisle_, _Gibson and Otto and Chiro should be standing up there proudly watching. Jinmay should be my maid of honor. And Sparks…Sparks should be…_

Before she knew it, Nova was at the front of the room. Trent was taking her hand, and the purple monster was setting her train down and taking her bouquet. The band stopped playing, and she and Trent faced the minister, who happened to be Offay. Nova noticed Offay's eyes were a glowing green. She glanced at Trent, who was looking at Offay with a smirk on his face. _Sparks was right..._

"We are gathered here today, to join these two great warriors in holy cosmic matrimony. They shall live together in love, trust, and companionship. Loving each other for who they really are. Trusting that they are soul mates willing to compromise. And being not only lovers, but companions."

Each word was killing Nova. It made her feel even more uncomfortable. She looked at Trent, hoping to just get a look from him that would make her feel better. Trent looked at her and smiled, but it just didn't feel right. And now, she could see something in his eyes, something that was a dead giveaway to everyone else but invisible to her.

"Does anyone here have a reason why these two should not be wed?"

The room was quiet. The Hyperforce was quiet. Sparks was quiet. Nova waited for someone to say something…

"Then, by the power-"

"Wait!" Nova said suddenly. The room aroused with murmurs. Sparks stood in the lobby in shock. But he still couldn't help but think, _Yes!!!!_

Nova turned to Trent, ignoring everyone's looks of confusion. This felt right, she had to do it. She took another deep breath. "Trent," she began, struggling to get the words out, "are you a monster?"

Trent looked to the door, catching a glimpse of Sparks. He looked toward the Hyperforce. He then smiled, but it turned into a grin, and he chuckled. He sounded sinister. Sparks put his guard up.

"Took you long enough, Nova," he said.

He began to transform again, ripping the suit to pieces. He let a roar out, causing the crowd to flee. Now Korgon, he began destroying everything in sight. Nova stepped back, surprised. Sparks ran in and joined the rest of the Hyperforce, ready to fight.

"Hyperforce, GO!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Ah! Spova-ness! Trent has exposed himself, but can the Hyperforce stop him?**

**Please review!**


	8. Battlefield

**IM BACK!!!! I'm SOOO sorry for no updates in so long. My computer got a virus (grr) and we haven't been able to fix it until about a week ago. But I'm back and ready to finish this awesome story! **

**I wrote this chapter in less than 12 hours. I was that anxious to update LOL. Hop it turned out good.**

**If you thought the last chapter was full of Spova-ness, wait until you read this one. Enjoy!**

* * *

The wedding guests scrambled across the room in panic as Korgon shot laser beams out of his eyes and slammed his giant fists into the walls.

As the rest of the Hyperforce gathered together, Nova stood in front of the room, still in shock. _Sparks was right all along_, she thought. _Why didn't I listen to him? The one time his conspiracy theory craze came in handy! And I can't believe I almost married this monster! And wore this frilly dress! _

Nova's thoughts were interrupted by Otto grabbing her. "Nova, come on! We gotta stop Trent!" he exclaimed. "Or, Korgon, or...wait, is his name really Trent or Korgon?"

"Otto, we don't have time for this!" Gibson said. "Nova, get out of that abomination and help-" He stopped and realized he had just insulted the bride. "Uh...not to say that you don't look smashing...I just...uh..."

"Don't worry, Gibson," Nova said, "I hated this thing anyway." She then activated her monkey fists, ripped the dress apart, and jumped up and down on the teared remains. She looked up at her teammates and smiled. "Now let's trash this wedding!"

Otto cheered while the rest of the guys smiled. "Good to have you back, Nova," Chiro said.

Antauri activated his ghost claws and got the team's attention. "Monkey team, go!"

The team jumped into action. Otto and Nova aimed straight for Korgon's front while Antauri and Gibson prepared to strike from behind. But as they let their attacks out, Korgon put both arms up, fists out, hitting all four of the monkeys. They hit the ground as Chiro ran for Korgon's feet. He threw a Chiro Spiro at them, causing Korgon to chuckle.

"Ha, is that your best move? A little splinter in my foot?" Korgon then kicked Chiro with his giant foot, throwing him against the wall.

"Hang on, kid!" Sparks shouted. He looked up at Korgon's horns, and noticed that they were magnetic. He grinned and leaped up toward Korgon's head. "Time to take a ride, big guy!" Sparks shot his magnetic waves at Korgon's horns, then used his tail to hold onto the chandelier on the ceiling, and started to throw Korgon around the room using his magnetic waves to keep a hold on him. Korgon spun around the room a few times, then got that sinister grin on his face. He grabbed onto the doorway, landed on his feet, and shook his head violently, causing Sparks to thrown up and down in mid-air. Sparks struggled to stay in control and hold onto the chandelier, but wasn't doing very well.

Nova, still on the ground, rolled over and looked up. She saw Sparks being thrown around in his own magnetic waves by Korgon. _Time to end this battle the way it should have ended last night_, she thought as she got up. Nova jumped toward Korgon's head and smashed his horns to pieces. Korgon stopped and held his head in pain. Sparks deactivated his magnets and fell to the ground. The others were quickly by his side.

"Are you alright, Sparks?" Antauri asked.

Sparks got up slowly and let out a groan. "Yeah...man, next time I try that move, I might feel sorry for the guy." He groaned again put a hand on his upper back, since it had been very nicely thrashed from being thrown around the room. Antauri stepped forward and rubbed his back for a moment. "I guess I don't know my own strength."

"Well, it was a well-planned out attack, I must say," Gibson complimented.

"Thanks, Brainstrain."

"Master Offay!"

The team looked to the front of the room, where Nova was helping Offay stand up. They ran over to see what happened.

"Is he okay?" Chiro asked.

Offay stood up, rubbing his eyes. "I am fine, Chiro." He looked around at the destroyed room. "What is happening?!"

"Master Offay," Nova said calmly, "do you have any memory of the last few days?"

Offay thought for a moment. "Hmm...all I remember is my old student Trent coming to me, wanting to see you. I told him you were traveling with the Hyperforce, and then I sent a message to Nova. Soon, she came and met the fellow. They seemed to clash at first, but they always seemed to mention getting married. Whenever I questioned the situation, I blacked out."

"You were being controlled by Trent, Offay," Chiro explained.

"It all makes sense now," Sparks said, "Trent set it up so Offay would think Nova was coming for a visit. And whenever the wedding was brought up, he controlled Offay's mind to just go with it."

"So he _did_ learn to control his powers," Offay said. "Thank goodness. His mind control spree caused half of my students to quit."

Just then, the room rumbled.

"Uh, guys..." Otto said nervously.

The rest of the team turned around. Korgon took a few giant steps toward the Hyperforce and roared. He lifted his large fist and aimed to squash the team into the ground. Everyone quickly dodged his fist as it made a huge hole in the ground and ran across the room to think of another plan.

"What do we do now?!" Nova exclaimed.

"If I can go into Power Primate mode," Chiro suggested, "I think I can stop him."

"I fear our energy attacks are of no use against him," Gibson said, "at least not straight on."

"I agree, Gibson," Antauri chimed in. "We must find some way to distract him so Chiro can strike."

"And how exactly do we distract a giant, crazy, mind-controlling monster?" Sparks asked sarcastically.

Korgon turned toward the team and looked at Nova. He smiled and reached for her. When Nova stepped back, he roared and thrust his fist into the ground again. Sparks pulled Nova away from Korgon's fist.

"You will love me, Nova!" he proclaimed in his deep, tough voice. "I didn't train this hard to lose you!"

The team paused for a second.

"...Awkward..." Otto appropriately said.

"Ugh...now that I think about it," Nova recalled, slightly uncomfortable, "he always did have a crush on me."

"Very true," Offay confirmed, "you were always a distraction to him."

"Hmm," Gibson thought, "perhaps if Trent was to see Nova romantically involved with another person, like someone he may consider a threat," Gibson glanced over at Sparks, then looked to Otto, "that may be a good enough distraction for us to attack."

Otto, interestingly enough, got the message. "Well then," he said, trying to make it sound coincidental, "I guess Nova and Sparks should kiss."

The rest of the team was speechless. Both Sparks' and Nova's hearts thumped rapidly.

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Chiro said, "but Otto's right."

Nova began to stutter, not sure how to react. Sparks looked at Gibson, as if to say, _I don't know about this. What do I do?_ Gibson looked back and nodded, as if to say, _Go for it._

Sparks turned back to a still stuttering Nova. He took a deep breath, grabbed Nova by her shoulders, and kissed her.

The rest of the team watched in shock for a moment. Then remembered their plan. Korgon turned and saw the sight.

"Nova! What are you doing?!" he cried.

The others, along with Offay, quickly ran out of sight. They got behind Korgon, and Chiro went into Power Primate mode. The monkeys activated their weapons, and Offay striked a battle pose. They then leaped toward an unsuspecting Korgon and attacked.

As all of this was going on, Sparks and Nova kept their lips together. Even though he knew it was part of a plan, Sparks couldn't help but get wrapped up in the kiss. He had wanted to do this for so long, and he may never get the chance again, so he held on to Nova tighter, never wanting the moment to end.

Nova wasn't sure how she felt. Her whole vision of Sparks had changed in less than ten minutes. He went from her selfish, wise-cracking teammate to a strong, caring guy. Still Sparks, but better somehow. Someone that could really be her friend. Maybe more. She decided to take advantage of the situation and try it out. Besides, this kiss had to look convincing. She placed her arms under his, embracing him back.

Meanwhile, Chiro and Offay had Korgon pinned against the wall. Otto latched onto Korgon's head and looked for an outlet on the back. Once he found it, he called for his teammate. "Antauri, now!"

Antauri leaped toward Korgon's head, putting his ghost claws into the outlet. He messed with a few wires and switches, before he found a small lever and pulled it. Korgon roared one last roar, then morphed back into Trent. Chiro let him go and he fell to the floor. Gibson approached him carefully to make sure he wasn't able to attack. Trent lay on the floor motionless. The wedding guests who had been watching from the lobby began to cheer.

When they heard this, Sparks and Nova let go of each other. They looked at the crowd coming in from the lobby. They looked at Trent's body on the floor. They looked at each other. Neither was sure of what to do or say next. They looked at each other for another moment.

"Sparks! Nova! Come here!" Chiro called.

They hesitated, then Nova started for the group. Sparks stayed back for a second to take in what had just happened. The wedding was off, Trent was defeated, he told Nova how he felt, and kissed her.

_What a day._

* * *

**YAY!!!!!! :D All is well again, but what will that kiss mean for Sparks and Nova's friendship? (or you could say relationship) **

**Please review!**


	9. Crush Return

**I"M BACK! After more computer problems, personal stuff, and lack of inspiration, it's time for the moment Spova fans have waited for!**

Trent's body was taken to the Super Robot by Gibson and Otto.

"So...is he...dead?" Nova asked.

"Negative," Antauri said, "I managed to pull the shut down switch in his brain. It typically functions when one of our heads is hit with extreme force. Trent will be unconscious until one of us reactivates him."

"What are we gonna do with him?" Chiro asked.

"Gibson is curious to study Trent's anatomy. It could reveal more about the work of the Alchemist."

"I wonder if Trent was meant to fight along-side Skeleton King," Chiro thought out loud. "He did say he was a last minute experiment. Maybe he was created just as the Alchemist was being corrupted by the darkness."

"It is a possibility," Antauri said.

"I'm just glad this is all over," Sparks said. "Can we go home now?"

"Not yet," Offay suddenly said. "I insist you all stay for tea. Besides, Nova and I never got to properly catch up."

"That sounds great!" Nova said happily, then turned to her teammates. "If you guys don't mind. It'd be a good start to the big thanks I owe you."

"Of course, Nova," Antauri answered. "We'd be honored."

"We'll go get Gibson and Otto," Chiro said. "They better save the autopsy for all of us to see."

"Gibson's probably turned the knive on Otto by now," Sparks joked.

Nova giggled to herself. The more she looked at Sparks in this new light, the more she swooned and felt warm inside. It was the same feeling she got with Trent, but stronger. _Oh, come on, Nova, that kiss was just for show_, she thought to herself, _it was part of the plan! It meant nothing! Well, it probably meant more to Sparks. I can't believe he said he loved me! That's crazy! He never...well, I don't... I'm so confused now._

"I'm sorry about all this confusion, Nova," Offay said.

"Oh, yeah," Nova replied, snapping out of it. "It's okay." _If you thought I was confused before, you have no idea._

"I hope you know that I would never force you to marry," Offay continued. "You are quite the warrior on your own. You need no man to complete you."

Nova giggled, blushing a little. "Oh, I don't know about that..."

"He's right," Sparks said.

Nova's eyes shot straight to her teammate in surprise.

"Well, he's also wrong," he continued. "Nova's a strong, smart, independent person. But, there's so much more to her than that. She's caring, sensitive..." _Eh, the monkey's already out of the barrel..._"Beautiful."

_He's never talked to me like that_, Nova thought, smiling. _Every time he does, I want to hear more...Maybe...it's worth a shot...but...how would the team feel about it?_ _Oh, heck, they came to watch me almost get married, even though it meant leaving them. They just want me to be happy. And...nothing makes me happier than Sparks._

"So," Sparks said, "even though Nova may not need a warrior in her life, she deserves one. And...I hope she finds him one day."

Nova felt her heart stop. _Wait, what?_

"I hope she does, too," Offay agreed.

Sparks paused for a minute, not sure what to do. _She hasn't said anything to me since I told her how I feel, _Sparks thought. _I probably scared her off. Just what I was afraid of. At least I saved her from that monster. But I still feel like my system malfunctioned._

"You guys do your tea thing without me," Sparks told Offay. "I need to take a spin. I might just go home."

He left without another word. Nova turned and watched him leave. Suddenly, memories flashed through her head. All those times with Sparks. Every time he was obnoxious, brave, funny, clumsy, and...those times he tried to tell her something, but she cut him off. It all made sense to her now...She couldn't let this happen. He couldn't leave. Not until...she told him the truth.

Nova ran out the door, into the stormy night. She saw Sparks not too far in the distance, headed toward the fist Rocket 3.

"Sparks! Wait!"

He stooped and looked back. _What's she doing out here?_

"I..." Nova started. _Man, it's like the words just left me. Well, I do owe him an apology. Start there. _"I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

Sparks paused. "Don't worry about it."

_I hope I'm not too late_, Nova thought. "And...thanks for coming out to save me."

He paused again. "No problem." He turned away.

_Oh, great, he hates me_. "Sparks, what's wrong?"

_Gee, I don't know, _Sparks thought_, You save a girl from a monster, pour your heart out to her, and she leaves you hanging. I'm on top of the universe! _"I just want to be alone."

Sparks began to walk away. Nova was ready to scream. Why wouldn't he listen to the wonderful thing she was dying to tell him?

"Sparks, stop!" Nova shouted to him.

'Why?" Sparks shouted back, stopping in his tracks, but not looking back. _Just leave me alone, woman!_

Nova took a deep breath so she could say it without breaking down.

"Because I love you, you big hothead."

Sparks' eyes widened. His heart pounded. He slowly turned to look at Nova. She was standing there, soaking wet, trying to hold back tears. He slowly walked toward Nova, looking deep into her eyes. The walking turned into sprinting, as Sparks made his way to Nova, lifted her up, and kissed her.

They kissed passionately in the rain, holding each other close, as if they were the only ones in the universe.

They both thought to themselves; _Finally._

**_WAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOOO! GO SPOVA!_**

**_But wait! There's still one chapter to go! Thanks for reading and please review!_**


	10. Into The Light

**Ok, last chapter! I hope it ends the story well. Thanks for still reviewing even after I disappeared for a while. Even though I'm starting school soon, I promise my other story ideas will be up and going soon! Anyway, enjoy!**

After tea with Offay, and after the rain let up, the Hyperforce got to work rebuilding the West Temple. They worked through the night and into the next afternoon before it was finished. The team then prepared to go home, but not without taking a nap first after all their hard work.

Sparks couldn't sleep, so he went to the place everyone on the Hyperforce seemed to go to think; the top of the Super Robot. As he looked out across the jungles of Galaxia in the early morning light, the events of the last 48 hours ran through his head. The strange creatures, the heartbreak of almost losing Nova, fighting Trent, his confession, the battle, the first kiss, and more importantly, the second. After which, he and Nova went back inside to join the others for tea. They held off telling their teammates about the new relationship, but they dropped a few hints over the last day, such as sticking by each other's side and stealing a kiss when (they thought) no one was looking.

He was happy. That was for sure. So why couldn't he sleep? Why did he feel nauseous? Things were supposed to be great. Something was bothering him.

"Hey," a voice said. Sparks looked behind him and saw Nova come out and sit next to him.

"Oh, hi," Sparks replied, a bit startled to see her, "I thought I was the only one up."

"I couldn't sleep," Nova confessed. "Something 's bothering me."

"What is it?"

She paused, trying to choose her words carefully. Then she stood up. "Sparks, I always loved you. Ever since we started working together. Even when you were an obnoxious jerk. But, I...I was always worried that if we took the next step, and things didn't work out, that-"

"That we wouldn't be friends anymore?" Sparks finished. Nova frowned and looked down. _Took the words right out of my mouth_.

"I know. I was afraid of the same thing." he admitted. "But I wanted more than anything to be with you."

Nova blushed. "I want to be with you too. But, what if we argue all the time? What if the team falls apart because of us? What if something happens to one of us? I don't want to lose you!" She desperately tried to hold back tears.

Sparks stood up and took Nova by the shoulders. He couldn't bear to see her cry. Nova looked up into his eyes. "I'm scared..." she said.

"I'm scared too," Sparks told her. "Of all of those things. But, I love you, and it's a risk worth taking. Heck, we take a risk everyday when we go out there to defend the universe. Antauri told us thst it's better to see the light than stay in the dark, or, something like that..."

Nova let out a giggle. "You actually listened to Antauri?"

"I have my moments," Sparks chuckled. "C'mon, we make a great team. Won't you take the risk with me? No matter what, we'll always be there for each other."

Nova smiled and hugged him in agreement. They held on to each other for a while, then parted and smiled at each other.

"We should probably go tell the others about all this," Nova said.

"Let 'em sleep," Sparks said, taking her hand and sitting her down beside him. "It's a nice morning." As they sat down and watched the sunrise, they remained quiet for a minute. Sparks then looked at Nova. "Ready to see the light?"

"Yeah", Nova replied, smiling. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

The new couple kissed tenderly. Nova then snuggled up to Sparks, happier than ever. Their tails touched behind them, forming a heart.

New love, watching the sunrise, beautiful jungle planet. The moment was perfect.

**THE END**

**Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed this story. It means a lot to me and boosts my confidence in my writing abilities :)**

**Look out for my next story; "Hiding Out". Synopsis is on my profile. Bye for now!**


End file.
